Ashes (Clementine X Male Reader Book 2)

Rage-Intimidation

You stop Brian as you walk down the overgrown road. You're far from the city now, maybe an hour out, and you haven't been attacked. You had come to two conclusions in your mind. One: they went to Ericson's. Two: they're following you. Option two seems the likely scenario now, as you can hear the engines closing in on you.

"You hear that too, right?" You ask Emma.

"Mhm."

They've brought your vehicles to you.

"What do we do?" Violet asks.

"Someone is around here." Brian approaches but stays a respectful distance away. "We're being watched, right? How else would they know where we are?"

"Yeah." You look at him and Lizzy. "Vi, you have a pistol, don't you?"

"Yes." Violet pulls it out to show you.

"Good. Take Lizzy over there. Shoot her if Brian does anything." You doubt Lizzy could do anything to Violet.

"I can help if you need me to," Violet says. You can see that she's itching to help, just like Emma. You're not sure how best to tell her no.

"Let us handle it, Vi," Emma tells her. Violet nods to her and doesn't argue. You forget sometimes that while you and Brooklyn were away, the rest were together. Their lives didn't stop, and they grew close together to a point where they could speak openly like that without offending each other.

"Brian, I'm expecting you to back us up." You tell him.

"Of course." Brian walks over to stand next to you and Emma. "Just don't leave me to die."

"Might," Emma mutters. Brian definitely hears her but doesn't react.

"Could you fill me in on our plan, here?" Brian asks. "If we have one."

"We don't." You tell him. You can see the vehicles in the distance now. "Maybe we can just intimidate them into giving us the vehicles." You yawn. "I'm tired and don't want to deal with them."

Emma cracks her back next to you. "Been a while since I've actually fought someone."

"I can help if you need me." You tell her. You haven't had a break from fighting in a while. It'd be so nice if you could talk them out of this. If you have to kill one or two, that's ok, too.

"You can rely on me as well," Brian adds.

"Fat chance," Emma replies.

Your vehicles screech to a stop before reaching you, and people come pouring out. There are not many of them, and not enough, like Ray said. Maybe just a dozen, probably less. You're not focused on counting them at this moment. You're inspecting their guns. Each of them has one, each of them has raised them, and they're spreading out to keep separate so you can't slaughter them all without being in one of their lines of sight for an extended period of time.

"Y/N?" One of them says.

"What?"

"Come with us, and we'll let all your friends live. Even the two that went and hid."

They're scared, or they wouldn't have tried to compromise. You smile because no matter how terrible their deal was, they've already shown you they're willing to make some agreement. You're the one with all the power, too. They can't kill you, and that puts them at a disadvantage they can't deal with. It's why you'll kill every person William puts in front of you.

"What are you gonna do with me?" You ask them, taking on a noncaring attitude. Something you picture Brooklyn having in this situation.

"Take you to William."